New lights at the wash

[Bubbles Galore]

I finished putting up some lights at the wash tonight and decided to snap a pic. It's not a great picture, but you get the general idea. They look really good, I'm happy with them. What do you guys think? Lights at the wash...

 

[I.B. Washincars]

It looks like you could get a sunburn at the changer area, which is good. The bays are too dark for my liking, with the exception of the one on the left of the eq. room. Does that bay have 4 lights, and the others only two?

Great looking wash

 

[Bubbles Galore]

Yes, the bay next to the equipment room has 250 watt fixtures, the other bays are 175. I'm working on getting some new fixtures (trying to decide what type). Its definitely my baby, an expensive one at that! LOL!

 

[MEP001]

The rope lights look good, brighter than I would have expected from LED's.

 

[I.B. Washincars]

Yes, the bay next to the equipment room has 250 watt fixtures, the other bays are 175. I'm working on getting some new fixtures (trying to decide what type). Its definitely my baby, an expensive one at that! LOL!

I would think you could just change the ballast and bulb to 250W. This will work, won't it MEP? 1000bulbs has the ballasts for $49. This would be much cheaper and easier than swapping out a bunch of fixtures and then figuring out what to do with them.

 

[MEP001]

This will work, won't it MEP?

I've done it, once even put a metal halide ballast in a cheap $25 mercury vapor yard light from Home Depot. As long as the fixture is available in a 250W model it should handle the extra heat from the higher energy use.

 

[Kirb]

Bubbles,
The wash looks great! I have been looking at different LED rope lighting on the internet and KR. Where did you get yours?
Thanks,
Kirb

 

[MEP001]

The wash looks great! I have been looking at different LED rope lighting on the internet and KR. Where did you get yours?

100bulbs.com, specifically http://www.1000bulbs.com/LED-Rope-Light/34422/

 

[Bubbles Galore]

When I did a cost search through google, 1000 bulbs were the most reasonably priced. All I can say is that I am very pleased with them. They give the wash an absolutely great look at night. It's a real eye catcher.

Thanks for the tip on changing out the ballasts! I have to order some more stuff from them anyhow, so I am going to pick up a few new ballasts and see how they work out. Maybe I can snap a pic and show a comparison of the difference from 175 to 250.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

Why are the 250w ballasts from 1000bulbs only $50 whereas the ones from Grainger are $120+? What's up with that? I'm going to buy 2 of them and switch one of my bays over, but why the price difference? Anyone have any guesses?

 

[MEP001]

Why are the 250w ballasts from 1000bulbs only $50 whereas the ones from Grainger are $120+?

The ones from Grainger are Advance brand, the ones from 1000bulbs are Sola. I don't know why the huge difference in price, but there's no difference at all in how they work. I've had to replace a couple ballasts in the Scottsdales and used the the Sola brand, and if anything the bulbs seem to last longer and stay brighter with the Sola.

I order a dozen bulbs at a time too, saving about $4 per bulb. They have a location close enough to me that one time when I ordered something online at about 6:30 in the evening I got it at 10:00 the next morning standard ground service.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Grainger offers a lot, but low price is not their forte.

Recent example. Coleman Shampooer Little Giant pump starts leaking. I do an internet search .

Find it for $103.73 http://www.drillspot.com/products/332974/Little_Giant_35-OM_Carpet_Cleaner_Pump

Grainger price $114.50 http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/2P018

Order the less expensive one . When I ordered did not know Grainger had it.

BUT, pump arives, and it is in a Grainger Box from a location 10 minutes away from one of my washes.

Probably stiil saved $ since there was no sales tax but there was shipping.

 

[Jeff_L]

Bubbles - The rope light looks awesome and adds some flare to your wash. Question for you though, what did you use to attach the rope? I like the idea, but wonder how you "disguise" or "hide" them during the day so it doesn't look like unlit Christmas lights during the day.

Your thoughts are appreciated!

 

[Bubbles Galore]

MEP & Earl: Thanks! I am going to buy 2 of the ballasts and make sure I am happy with how they look, but it definitely seems like it should work well. What do you guys recommend for cleaning up the plastic lenses that are yellowed?

Jeff L: I used a ton of stainless screws and UV resistant zip ties. I would venture a guess that a mid-level tornado would not affect the mounts in the slightest. Unless you are looking for them, you would never even notice them. The blue lights are in a clear tubing, so you don't really have anything that resembles a x-mas light. I highly recommend them, so long as the life cycle of the lights remain as advertised.

 

[MEP001]

What do you guys recommend for cleaning up the plastic lenses that are yellowed?

There's no way to clean them. Check with Kleen-Rite, they may have a replacement glass lens, or you may just want to replace the whole fixture since a ballast, bulb and lens will likely cost as much. The yellowing is degradation of the plastic from UV emitted by the bulb.

I highly recommend them, so long as the life cycle of the lights remain as advertised.

1000bulbs guarantees them for 35,000 hours - that's 9 years burning 11 hours a night. The manufacturer rates them at 100,000 hours.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

MEP: I will see what I can come up with. Thanks for the help!

 

[pitzerwm]

AS for installing the rope lights or other wiring. I ran some TV cable over brick at my house and I of course, was in a hurry and didn't want to do it "right". I used a glue gun and "spot welded" in place. It turned out pretty good.

 

[teamplex65]

John,

Can you take some closer photos of the rope light mounted and a closer photo of it during the day so we can see how you mounted them. I did green LEd xmas lights last year and it looked awesome. This may be the permanent solution I am looking for.

Also, did you have to connect 2 lengths together? I would like to see that up close as well, and is there a noticeable gap (dark area) where lights arent when they are connected together?

 

[Bubbles Galore]

Yes, I would be more than happy to take some better up close pics.

I bought 150' all on one roll, so I haven't spliced anything yet. I am ordering another roll to finish up the ends of the building and do some other accent lighting around the wash. 1000bulbs has clear splice kits so that you don't get that 'broken' look.

 

[crewchief97]

bay lighting

I have high pressure sodium in my bays now and it's time for an upgrade. Which is a better light, metal halide or the high pressure sodium? Thanks for the advise.